Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and South Korea's national football team refuted earlier reports that he had thrown a punch at national team captain Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur last week during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

In a statement on Thursday, Lee's representative said false information from media reports are being exaggerated and reproduced, adding that reports that Lee had taken a swing at Son with his fist after Son grabbed Lee by the scruff of his neck are untrue.

The representative said senior members of the team had also played table tennis with Lee and that the team members have always played the sport.

Earlier, Lee uploaded a post on social media, apologizing to the nation's football fans for causing great disappointment. The 22-year-old said he should have listened to the senior members of the team.

On Wednesday, media outlets reported on an argument between the two star players the day before their Asian Cup semifinal match against Jordan last week, which eventually led to Son's finger injury.

The Korea Football Association(KFA) later confirmed the reported incident and on the day of the altercation some senior members of the team, including Son, reportedly went to head coach Jürgen Klinsmann to request that Lee be excluded from the semifinal roster.